Wizards of the Coast's product catalogue has been updated to include the releases for September through December of 2006, and one of the new products is a highly-anticipated starship combat game. Here is the blurb from the catalogue:

Star Wars Miniatures
Starship Battles
Starter Set and Booster
The Star War Miniatures gaming experience reaches a whole new level!

Star Wars Starship Battles is a new collectible miniatures game based on the popular Star Wars Miniatures Game. Long anticipated by fans, Starship Battles presents authentic starship figures from across all eras of the Star Wars saga. This 40-figure set is made up exclusively of space vehicles of all sizes, from starfighters to capital ships, all represented in relative scale. The starter game also contains two exclusive, non-randomized figures not available anywhere else, the Super Star Destroyer Executor and the Mon Calamari Star Defender Viscount.

Drawn from the popular films, computer games, comics, and novels, the starships in this set are presented in relative scale to each other and not scale with other Star Wars Miniatures figures.

Starter Game Componants:

rulebook

game map

two exclusive, non-randomized figures

ten randomized figures

stat card for each figure

set checklist

Booster Componants:

seven randomized figures

stat card for each figure

set checklist

Nov. 21, 2006; Starter $39.99, Booster $19.99

Sounds pretty interesting. Also of note, I have a Dungeons & Dragons book coming out in September, co-written by Star Wars d20 author Owen K.C. Stephens. Here's the blurb on it:

Dragon Magic
Owen K.C. Stephens and Rodney Thompson
An exploration of two of the most exciting components of D&D - magic and dragons.
Dragon Magic changes the way dragons are used in D&D campaigns. By imagining a world in which dragons openly share their magical secrets with humans and other races, this supplement encourages characters to form associations with dragons and learn ancient dragon secrets. Intended for both players and Dungeon Masters, Dragon Magic offers players new feats, spells, and magical items tied to dragons, while it gives DMs information on how to run a challenging new setting or enrich a current campaign.
Sept. 12, 2006; 160 page hardcover, $29.95

SWRPGNetwork Conversions webmaster GMSarli has alerted us to news that the Dark Side Sourcebook and Power of the Jedi are to be reprinted in June. This is confirmed with the uppity ups at Wizards, so those of you that missed them the first time around should be sure to check them out.
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Wizards of the Coast has posted a PDF file written by SWRPGNetwork Conversions webmaster Gary "GMSarli" Sarli featuring extensive stats from Revenge of the Sith. Taken from web articles written over the course of several weeks, this all-in-one mini-sourcebook should help any gamers wishing to run adventures in the Clone Wars, or even post-Episode III. Take the time to download it, it's really worthwhile.
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SWRPGNetwork staffer GMSarli is reporting that the upcoming Attack on Endor Scenario Pack expansion for the Star Wars Miniatures Game will include new game material for the Star Wars Roleplaying Game. Apparently, the package includes statistics for several characters and creatures. Here's the scoop:

New vehicle, new creature, bunch of NPCs ... some of these guys had stats previously (several from Rebellion Era Sourcebook), but they're updated to the revised rules. Ponda Boba, Dr. Evazan, and Baron Sootir Fel are all new (AFAIK), and Kyle Katarn is the only one who already had revised stats (Power of the Jedi, but then no one seems to be able to get a copy of PotJ anymore!). Complete list:

Admiral Ackbar

BARC Speeder

Baron Fel

Varactyl (the lizard, named "Boga," that Obi-Wan rode on Utapau in RotS)

Dark Trooper Phase III

Dr. Evazan

Grand Admiral Thrawn

Guri

Kyle Katarn

Ponda Boba

Prince Xizor

A step in the right direction, at the very least. Here's hoping that sales do well and roleplayers show enough interest to encourage the production of more RPG material.
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We at SWRPGNetwork always like to see interesting new fan projects, and the guys over at the Star Wars fan comics site (responsible for the excellent Cracken's Crew fan comic) have come up with a great sourcebook for fans of the prequel era. This sourcebook covers many of the Jedi from the Clone Wars and is a great resource for anyone looking to add a little action to their prequel game. Nar Cranr sent us this brief blurb about the project:

Fandom Comics has finally released the first chapter of their latest work in progress; a Clone Wars Sourcebook. The current chapter features thirteen NPCs that are either Sith or Dark Jedi during the Clone Wars era, along with a chronological write up of their involvement during the Clone Wars.

Be sure to surf on over and check it out, and discuss it right here on the Holonet Forums.
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From all of us at SWRPGNetwork, we wish you a Happy New Year. We hope you are happy, prosperous, and have lots of Star Wars-related fun in the new year, and we look forward to continuing to be a place where members of the gaming community come to enjoy Star Wars roleplaying. Happy New Year!
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A little late posting this news, but it still deserves to be posted. ENWorld member MerricB has posted a letter he received from Living Force director August Hahn. In this letter, he confirms something we've been suspecting for a while now.

August Hahn:
Dear readers and players,

Before I begin, please forgive our delay in responding the many very pertinent, very worthy questions that have been bandied about on this forum (and others). Cynthia and I have been working tirelessly to ensure that every resource was exhausted, every avenue explored
and every possibility spent before bridging the subject that has been on your minds - namely, the second Living Force campaign.

Let me make this as clear to you as it has become to us (but hear me out after I say it):

There will not be an LF2 campaign.

Wizards of the Coast has no interest in pursuing the Star Wars license agreement with LucasFilm beyond its Miniatures product line. This final decision came only very recently, which is why there has been such a delay in an announcement. With no roleplaying products coming out or scheduled, the roleplaying organized play division (the RPGA) will not support a second campaign set in the Star Wars universe.

Thus, I repeat, there will not be a sequel to what WotC gladly acknowledges as a hugely successful campaign. We have had a great run, but just as there hasn't been a Year Six of Babylon 5, there will be no continuance of these great stories once they are finished.

At Winter Fantasy, all good things (and this campaign from its inception under the immensely capable leadership of Jae Walker and the creative gifts of Morrie Mullins has been so VERY, VERY good) will come to an end. This decision is final; it will not change.

Angry letters won't dissuade the powers that be. Threats and wails and gnashing of teeth will avail nothing. For very solid, very understandable reasons, the RPGA will not sanction a
second "season". When it's over, it's over.

So please, we your humble Coordinators beg of you, let's conduct these last months with the same dignity and strength of character (and characters) that made LF worth the gnashing of teeth uncountable. Enjoy the last story arcs. Play your roles to the fullest.

BE the heroes we know you are.

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And that, as they say, is the bad news.

The ~good news~ is that we are currently discussing plans for an all new campaign to fill the schedule void that will be left by LF's conclusion.

I can only inform you of what we have been told is acceptable to release at this early date.

The RPGA wants another science-fiction campaign. They want Cynthia and I to handle it, write it, and manage it. They want to make sure that you the players have a rich selection of games to enjoy and that ~includes~ a sci-fi genre choice.

I honestly can say nothing more.

When we know anything else, you'll know it that same day. Why? Because we suck at keeping secrets.

I think we can all agree that this is definitely a dark time for Star Wars Roleplaying.

EDIT: As a co-webmaster pointed out, this is far from an official end to the RPG, but is instead another grim indicator.
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The Wizards of the Coast Star Wars RPG official site has updated with several pieces, most of which are not of much use to gamers. The first, however, is an excellent random planet generator. However, the generator runs on java, so WebTV users beware. Also listed are an article promoting the various ways to get games running, the announcement of winners of an autographed copy of Secrets of Naboo, a Jedi Quest kids club, and an announcement of a miniatures chat session on Friday, April 13. Check out their page for more information.
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We received this Press Release from the creators of JediTalk, an online talk show about Star Wars. Here it is:

For Immediate Release:

Jedi Talk has been on the air for over two years and is close to it 100th broadcast. This week Darion Blade, Creator and long time co-host of Jedi Talk announced he would no longer be Co-hosting Jedi Talk after show 100.

Although we will miss Darion on Sunday nights Jedi Talk is doing this a move to better itself. For many reasons,

1. Darion needs the time to be able to work on promotions for Jedi Talk and Gamers Tavern. Also the Station Radio Evolution has new shows coming that many of you will be interested in and Darion wants to have the time to launch and maintain them properly.

2. Darion also has a new job that takes up a lot of time and makes it difficult for him to do a show every Sunday night. Of course Jedi Talk is not going away we will still be broadcasting every Sunday night. With Lars Quillion and Kal Thanos. Darion will still be around and always will be a major part of Jedi Talk. He will be listening and participating in the chat room as much as he can.

“Jedi Talk has been something that I have really loved doing. And I hope to come back as a host in the future. But, for now if I don’t concentrate on the back end of the show, the station and the shows may go away. I have had a blast and I hope people will remember me.” Darion Blade. Darion will still be on Show 99 and 100 so be sure to catch him the last few times on the air. Darion wanted to thank every one for the emails that came in after the announcement on the show this last Sunday.

“Jedi Talk has been though host changes before. Although we know this is the biggest one yet. However, the show will continue on. And one day I will be back. Thanks for all the great Jedi Talk support. And don’t worry I wont be completely gone.” Darion Says.

We will miss Darion, but we hope people will continue to listen. WE have some very exciting things coming in the future for Jedi Talk.

While we've all known that Owen Stephens is working on a new starships book, the best we've been given were vagaries and generalizations. Wizards of the Coast has issued a press release which announces this book, now entitled Starships of the Galaxy, due out in December. Here's what the press release says:

Starships of the Galaxy (MSRP$21.95). This comprehensive guide shows players how to build and integrate starships into their campaigns and includes rules for ship-to-ship combat. Available in December.

Also officially announced was the Alien Anthology, which we reported to be in the works in a news report on March 7.
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